An essential Vegan Luxury Travel directory curated by Verde Camilla Parmigiani.
Vegan luxury travel is blossoming worldwide, and food is arguably the biggest incentive for travellers that choose a vegan vacation. Gone are those sad days when being on a vegan diet meant choosing between a side dish or a salad or be stuck eating the same thing as back home. Instead, plant-based gourmet connoisseurs can finally enjoy incredible culinary experiences in top worldwide luxury locations.
Verde Camilla Parmigiani is a Vegan Luxury Hospitality Specialist and Consultant and the founder of Vegan Set, the first plant-based fine dining website. She works with hotels and restaurants to elevate their existing offer to higher plant-based standards and cater to the growing market of ethical consumers. Below, it’s a list of her favourite places to enjoy unique plant-based adventures—moments of pure vegan delights.
Vegan luxury travel: Italy
IL SAN PIETRO DI POSITANO · POSITANO
The San Pietro di Positano is more than just a hotel. It is a haven of peace, immersed in nature, where old-world traditions of hospitality combine with contemporary, understated luxury. With the season 2021, this grand resort has upgraded its offer to provide a flawless epicurean experience to those guests who have adopted a vegan lifestyle.
The creativity of Chef Alois Vanlangenaeker has found further enlightenment in fine vegan cooking. The plant ingredients sourced in the organic hotel garden are the centrepiece of refined gastronomy that wows even the most demanding palates.
HOTEL RAPHAEL · Rome
Take a terrace overlooking Rome, add the atmosphere of a Relais et Châteaux, a pinch of international clientele and finish with exclusive vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Welcome to the Mater Terrae restaurant at the Hotel Raphaël, a combination of ingredients, ethos and charm so unique that you anticipate the excitement even before sitting at the table.
The restaurant conveys a total sense of well-being in accordance with the overall house philosophy that centres around respect for nature. Just a few steps from Piazza Navona, this five-star luxury hotel embarked on a journey of true avant-garde hospitality —starting by turning the seventeenth-century façade of the building into a green oasis in the very centre of Rome.
BOTANIA RELAIS · ISCHIA
Refined and for adults only, the Botania Relais & spa perfectly combines the stunning beauty of Ischia with the charm of a small Relais. The serenity of the place, the attention to details and the rich list of leisure activities make this charming place a perfect refuge for relaxation, a romantic getaway or a holiday with friends. Il Mirto is their on-site vegetarian restaurant, perfect for enjoying a healthy diet with roots in the local peasant tradition. All dishes are prepared with the guest’s well-being in mind, using fresh seasonal vegetables grown organically.
HOTEL THERASIA RESORT VULCANO · ISOLE EOLIE
The Mediterranean sea is the cradle of smells, colours and flavours, which find perfect harmony on the island of Vulcano. Here, the Therasia Resort Sea & Spa nests on a promontory that dominates the breathtaking panorama of the Aeolian Islands. Many of the rooms have stunning views of the Sicilian sea and the other islands of the archipelago. Other rooms face the volcano. Their vegetarian restaurant I Tenerumi was born in this spectacular setting marrying the passion and skills of the Michelin-starred Chef Giuseppe Biuso with the genuine products offered by the island, all organic, handpicked from local farmers. As a result, every dish is a unique experience that will delight all your senses.
LEFAY RESORT · LAKE GARDA
With its 11 hectares of natural park, the Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda in Gargnano dominates the ‘Riviera dei limoni’ on Lake Garda. Beloved by Goethe, today a sustainable destination thanks to this model of hospitality and innovation, this “Best Luxury Eco-SPA”, “Best Destination SPA” and “Most Innovative Sustainable Hotel” (to name just a few of the awards) wants to be the showcase for sustainability. Rigorous certifications and code of ethics, the bid to reduce CO2 emissions and produce energy from renewable sources, are evidence of their unfaltering commitment. Not to mention the design, fully integrated into the local landscape with minimal visual impact, the use of local natural materials, the branded organic and cruelty-free cosmetic line, and naturally, the culinary offer. The Lefay Vital Gourmet celebrates life and vitality through the region’s most authentic flavours. At “La Grande Limonaia” restaurant, seasonal ingredients, extra virgin olive oil, citrus fruits from the lake and locally grown herbs all create a quintessential and light Mediterranean cuisine.
VEGAN AGRIVILLA I PINI · TUSCANY
Nestled in the picture-perfect hills of San Gimignano – Tuscany, the vegan Agrivilla I Pini has provided shelter to pilgrims along the Via Francigena for hundreds of years. Like their predecessors, the current owners have sworn to be respectful stewards of the land – a responsibility that they like to extend to the guests. This vegan, organic farmhouse is fully committed to preserving the environment from the ground up and providing a sanctuary to connect with the intrinsic power of nature. Rolling vineyards, olive groves and permaculture gardens surround the 11 elegant lodgings. From the seasonal, vegan cuisine to the beautifully rustic interiors and the terracotta tiles upon which you walk like many travellers before, every detail is design for an intimate experience that fully represents the Tuscan land and culture.
Vegan luxury travel: worldwide
SHANGRI-LA · SINGAPORE
Shangri-La Singapore is a luxurious haven in the heart of the garden city. Set in 15 acres of lush tropical greenery just minutes from the vibrant Orchard Road shopping belt, it offers one of the broadest and finest selections of culinary experiences among local hotels. The sleek and innovative cuisine at their Origin Grill and Bar, awarded as one of the top 20 restaurants 2018/19 at the T Dining Awards, include a carousel of mouthwatering vegan delicacies crafted from scratch using quality whole food ingredients. All the other on-site restaurants also provide plenty of plant-based items on their menus, and the breakfast buffet now offers a great variety of gluten-free and vegan options.
FIVELEMENTS · BALI
Nestled on the banks of the Ayung River, Fivelements Retreat is an eco-conscious retreat deeply rooted in the ancient traditions of Bali. To counterbalance the unique challenges of modern lifestyles, we invite you to step inside their award-winning Sakti Dining Room and enjoy feeling nourished by the pure delight of each dish. Their epicurean plant-based cuisine is a celebration of “aliveness”, letting mother nature shine through with all the exciting tastes, textures, vibrant colours and pure flavours. It all starts with sourcing the finest ingredients at the height of the growing season. They support local farmers, sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly products. The food is prepared with love, passion and attention to detail to give optimal nutrition whilst inspiring a gastronomical journey that nurtures body, mind and soul.
FOUR SEASONS RESORT PUNTA MITA · MEXICO
Open your soul to the heart of Mexico and live a breathtaking luxury experience fully catering to the vegan lifestyle. This iconic Resort, located on 400 scenic acres on the southwest point of the Riviera Nayarit region, will offer you stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and the lushness of the surrounding nature, in addition to a wide variety of plant-based possibilities. The Four Seasons is globally revered for its exceptional level of service. Still, the Punta Mita Resort enhances this sense of luxury through the true spirit of Mexican hospitality and the whole rounded natural experience they provide to their guests.
CLINIQUE LA PRAIRIE · Switzerland
Located in Montreux on the shores of Lake Leman, on the splendid “Swiss Riviera”, there is a wellness retreat called Clinique La Prairie that has become a landmark for vegan cuisine. Their nutrition philosophy centres around an anti-inflammatory diet that prioritises organic food, whole grained cereals, seasonal vegetables and plant-based proteins. A balanced meal here always includes all the nutrients (vegetables, carbohydrates and proteins) and stimulates both mind and appetite. The focus is designing tailor-made meals that suit the dietary requirements of each guest and their taste for a vegan, gluten-free and satisfying diet.
HILTON BANKSIDE · LONDON
The Shakespeare’s Globe, the Millenium Bridge, and the Tate Modern art gallery are about a five-minute walk from the Hilton on London’s South Bank. They feature London’s first luxury Vegan hotel suite designed to create a boutique, luxurious and welcoming experience for the traveller keen on a plant-based lifestyle. From the headboard made from pineapple leaves to the bamboo floor, the key elements of this chic urban suite come the finest natural materials, including seating and cushions made from Pinatex leather (a plant-based leather), solid stone-grey flooring made with 100% renewable and sustainable Moso Bamboo and sourced organic cotton carpets, a vegan mini bar selection, vegan in-room dining menu and luxury vegan bathroom products.
Vegan luxury travel: drink
ATRIUM BAR · FLORENCE
When in Florence, don’t miss a stop at the Atrium Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel. The talented Bar Team will delight you with some of the most amazing plant-based cocktails you will ever try in your life. Most of them also feature in the ‘Animal Kingdom’ cocktails book dedicated to 15 endangered wild species. From an idea of Edoardo Sandri (Bar Mixologist – in the picture), Gabriele Fedeli (Food and Beverage Outlets Manager) and Tommaso Ondeggia (Bar Manager), this cocktail book pays homage to the beauty of the global wildlife heritage that is so highly at risk.
